IsaacDavid
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- 9 Jun 2019
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If i finish in doing a course in japanese in another country(no in japan)should i be able to understand manga japanese fluently?
Fluent in Manga Japanese
- Thread starter IsaacDavid
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- 12 Oct 2004
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First of all, "fluent" generally refers to speaking and being able to express oneself comfortably, so "fluent in reading" or "fluent in manga" doesn't really make sense as a concept. ("literate in Japanese", or "able to understand manga comfortably" would make more sense and be easier to answer.)
Secondly, Japanese courses vary in intensiveness and in quality, and learners studying in such courses vary in their effort and ability.
There is no such thing as one course that will make any learner "fluent" or "literate" in Japanese. It is about the quality of the course and the effort of the learner. If you put in the time and effort, you can achieve anything. If you don't, you can achieve nothing. I have seen both cases over the years. It's not an attack on anyone, but both are possible.
Secondly, Japanese courses vary in intensiveness and in quality, and learners studying in such courses vary in their effort and ability.
There is no such thing as one course that will make any learner "fluent" or "literate" in Japanese. It is about the quality of the course and the effort of the learner. If you put in the time and effort, you can achieve anything. If you don't, you can achieve nothing. I have seen both cases over the years. It's not an attack on anyone, but both are possible.
IsaacDavid
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- 9 Jun 2019
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- Thread starter
- #3
I ask this because the japanese that is used in manga looks difficult and use much colloquial japanese.
- 8 Aug 2005
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@IsaacDavid, There's a whole spectrum in manga ranging from very basic and standard phrasing to idiosyncratic phrasing created specifically to reflect personality traits of the characters talking, and the vocabulary may be simple or it can be highly specialized (or again, made-up). So it's really impossible to say whether a course will prepare you for reading manga on your own... but probably not at first, and especially if you're starting from scratch. But I can say that it's at least a step in the right direction, so long as you're learning and engaged and building a foundation that helps you understand Japanese.
I would say you want to get some basics down and start with something simple, but once you can read a little, pick up a manga and give it a try. It WILL suck at first, so temper your expectations. You may need a dictionary on hand or even use a translation aid to help you analyze and break down the sentence structure; understand that manga may use unusual or specialized vocabulary depending on the subject matter, so machine translators are imperfect tools. Once you get some more practice the sentences will be easier to understand, maybe the vocabulary will become more familiar, and you'll start to feel like you're making some progress. Treat it like a study aid, build vocab lists, and take note of the grammar structures that give you pause.
Don't neglect speaking and listening, though, it's all part of the package.
Also, good to see you again @bentenmusume, hope you've been well!
I would say you want to get some basics down and start with something simple, but once you can read a little, pick up a manga and give it a try. It WILL suck at first, so temper your expectations. You may need a dictionary on hand or even use a translation aid to help you analyze and break down the sentence structure; understand that manga may use unusual or specialized vocabulary depending on the subject matter, so machine translators are imperfect tools. Once you get some more practice the sentences will be easier to understand, maybe the vocabulary will become more familiar, and you'll start to feel like you're making some progress. Treat it like a study aid, build vocab lists, and take note of the grammar structures that give you pause.
Don't neglect speaking and listening, though, it's all part of the package.
Also, good to see you again @bentenmusume, hope you've been well!
IsaacDavid
Sempai
- 9 Jun 2019
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- Thread starter
- #5
Sorry for this silly question:All these especialized vocabulary and colloquial variants can be learn outside japan?
- 6 Mar 2003
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The short answer is "no."
Yes, it's possible. But it takes a lot of time, effort and dedication and most people end up giving up. And it's not just language, there is context to be learned.
Consider the opposite question: if I take a course in <your mother tongue> will I be able to read and understand comic books in <that language> with ease?
IsaacDavid
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- 9 Jun 2019
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- Thread starter
- #7
Nice your opposite question.
IsaacDavid
Sempai
- 9 Jun 2019
- 120
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- Thread starter
- #8
Thanks to all of you.
- 6 Mar 2003
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If you do start the journey of learning Japanese feel free to reach out here for your questions and clarifications.
- 12 Oct 2004
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Thank you. I'm actually not doing particularly well (at all) but I appreciate the sentiment nonetheless.
I do better when I'm in contact with people, so I'll try to post around here and be as much of a positive and productive presence -- rather than a negative one -- as I can.
Hear, hear. It's possible to become literate and/or fluent in Japanese without actually living in Japan, but it does require effort, and I would encourage anyone to make the best use of all resources -- including posting on forums like this and asking the "veterans" for help and guidance.
